THY WILL BE DONE.

I am in awe of the means God uses to show us His Hand, His love, His sovereignty, His mercies, His grace. Tonight was a night that He revealed Himself in a most beautiful way to my heart. I decided to visit a woman that in MY mind was going home to be with the Lord 3 days ago. A dear family friend of ours, Mary, went unresponsive at the age of 85, and her vital organs began showing signs of her body shutting down. Thursday night, my younger brother and I went to visit her. We held her hand. We prayed over her. We read the Word. We kissed her head. We left. I was nearly certain that was the last time I would see Mary this side of heaven. I even left her room whispering, "see you soon, sweet Mary"...which in our family, taught by my dear Grandma, means "I will see you in Heaven". I called upon my prayer warrior friends and family to pray for Mary, and the prayer request I sent was this: "pray that God takes her swiftly into His Kingdom". Well, 3 days later...and here I was tonight, at her bedside - talking to her, smiling with her, praying with her, holding her hand that held mine back, giving her water, and upon Mary's request to have candy...I scurried to find anything resembling candy that she would be able to swallow... Chocolate pudding to the rescue! 3 days go by, and everything is different...and it is not the first time that 3 days have gone by, and the bystanders sit in AWE of the plans of the Lord unfolding exactly opposite of what SEEMED to be going on.  

Ever felt that spiritual battle in your mind and your heart...the battle that literally seems to have satan on one shoulder and the Lord on the other? The daggers go back and forth? Circumstances and our faith seem to be at odds? What we feel and what we know just don't sing the same tune? As a follower of Jesus, we will inevitably face this battle many times in our walk - the battle of the world and THE WORD. It can happen weekly...even daily...moment by moment - spiritual warfare! When you find yourself in this battle, you need to STOP, absorb yourself in God's Word, and show the world and it's evil schemes just how BIG your God is! When the world tries to pull you down, when the circumstances seem overwhelming, when Satan whispers lies in your ear, just remember this amazing TRUTH... He who is in you, He who holds you in the Palm of His Hand...He is greater still! Stand tall, child of the Living God, for the Lord Himself is your defense. His grace is your shield! He is your Redeemer, your Rock, and your Salvation!